New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-13

place and even the humble and sordih occupy the
ecene so largely there is not note OF all this simple
descrintOn which has not its own interest," Inc oid
peasant woman who takes in orphans from the
commune and rears them at a pecuniary loss IN 90
spite of her poverty because she loves chldren'
the coDsumptive boy who is singing his lilo away
the patriarchial funeral scene at the mountain
farm; tho bright little sketch OF tho prosperous
brick the pathetic episode Of the Fossense,
tue poor girl whose nervous system overwcignteo
her 80 hopelessly; the account OF Butter. the
smngrler-bunter. charged with a temperament
which will not let him lead quiet humdrum lie
each and all arc interesting and attractive, not
onIv because of the art which informs them ous
because of the vivid realism which distinguishes
them from the work OF almost every other n'Vehst'
There is a singular purity and oftincss about the
hook The devotion of DR.. 3enassis the beauty or
the region in which the scene is cast, tho upward
movement of the action. all combine to cast over
the work kind of tender beauty which no reader
who in not uusympathetic can fail to perceive.
Bazac's spiritual power is displayed at its best in
these pages Truly it the Gospel in action that
he shows us. Nor does he descend from the high
plano upon Which his design is conceived even in
the most critical point which is the confession of
Benasss This is the solution of the riddle the cx-
PLANTATION of the remuneration of the world by
man of such singular powers The Benassis who
deserted the girl who loved him may seem at first
incompatible with the Benassis of later lite, but
Balzac made mistake in his theory OF deveiop-
ment. The youth. Southern In temperament,
warped by stupidity represslve education, thrown
on the world with abundant means and no saving
experience, yielded naturally and perhaps inevlta-
bly, to ten ptation 1t was not want of heart but
thoughtlessuess that led him into the treason ne
committed : and when, though tardiiy. he realized
-. ,ofrn rfn1 r.
disappointment of his second love deepened and in
tensiied the saddening and purifying influence
but ii was the shock his conscience caused by the
death of his sons mother which put him IN the
path of expiration and redemption. The real nobll-
ity of his character is indicated by his victory over
the suicidal yearnngs which at first Reset him, and
the establishment in his mind of tho convictions as
to the line of his duty. Ills SIN brought him suffer
ing but the suffering cleansed and raised instead of
souring and hardening him. HIS sympathies eI-
banded as his own anguish dcepened. and when ITO
seemed no longer to hold any good for him, SELF
abnegation at once furnished him a new career, and
in transforming his griefs into benefactons gave TO
the existence he had ceased to value an Importance
which even his humility could not ignore.
There is subtle stroke of art in the manner of
the good doctors death He was apoplectic of
habit, aud he had the symptoms OF q rush of blood
to the head a certain evening when letter bear
ing the Paris postmark was handed to him. lie
read it with increasing agitation and suddenly fell
forward exclaImng AIN dead" Then no told
his housekeeper to burn that letter" and became
Insensible. Balzac does not intimate in any way
the contents OF tho fatal letter He does not in fact
authorize the inference that the letter produced the
fat al result. But il is shown that Benasss believed
it to be from Evelna and that the thought that she
might be free at las. flashed into his mind.
Whether the ne as in it was cool or bad is left I'M
explained In either event Benassis dies and it is
clear that his death alone coul have eDded tho
book fifty. A lesser artist would perhaps have
caused Evena to relent. and have sought 10 tighten
his concluding pages by the prospect of wedding
festivities But Balzac knew better There was
nothing for DR.. BeDassis, as there nothing for
Lear, but death. And as Kent's apostropho
40 let him pass! He hates MIN
That would NJ the rack OF this rough world
Stretch him out longer"
forms the ftest dismissal of the great mad King, so
in taking leave of the country doctor We feel that
nothing can equal tho eloquence of the simple
inscription put on his tombstone by the people he
had SO loved and befriended The continuation of
his life would have been an anti-cmax. 1t was
when the end cane.
II only remains to be SAID that Miss Wormeley
has translated the book excellently, and has pre-
served nearly possible every shade of the
authors meaning The enterprise OF the publishers
in undertaking to English Balzae is certainly COM
hut it could not have succeeded rs it has
but for the good fortune which sent them so capa-
BILE and sympathetic q translator.